This will be the fourth Test between the sides after meetings in 1995, 2011 and 2013.

The All Blacks are playing in Japan for the second time after their 54-6 win in 2013 at

Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.

New Zealand’s biggest ever Test victory was against Japan at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, winning 145-17 in Bloemfontein.

Over the three previous Tests the All Blacks have scored a combined 282 points to Japan’s 30.

Japan form guide

Lost 31-28 in a warmup match against a World XV last week.

Won two of their three Tests in June, defeating Italy 34-17 and Georgia 28-0.

New Zealand form guide

Defeated the Wallabies 37-20 in Yokohama last weekend for a 3-0 sweep of the Bledisloe Cup.

Won nine of their 10 Tests this year, with their only defeat coming at the hands of South Africa in Wellington.

If the All Blacks score four tries or more they will equal the world record for most consecutive matches with that feat.

The current record is 12 held by New Zealand (2016) and Namibia (2017-current).

Will play their 300th Test on foreign soil, having won 215 away Tests for a 72 per cent record.

Have won their last seven Tests away from home.

The team news

A second string All Blacks side is poised to set a new mark in professional rugby when they face Japan in Tokyo.

Coach Steve Hansen has named two uncapped players in his starting team and another six on the reserves bench for Saturday’s Test at Ajinomoto Stadium.

If they all get on the field it will be the biggest blooding of new caps by New Zealand in the professional era.

It will surpass the seven newcomers used against England at Twickenham in 2002, when coach John Mitchell selected a virtual B team to tour.

Hansen elected to treat the match against the 11th ranked Brave Blossoms as an exercise in depth building, with his strongest group flying to London on Thursday to begin preparations for next week’s Test against England.

The run on team is completely changed from that which beat Australia 37-20 in Yokohama last week.

Starting five-eighth Richie Mo’unga is the only player to lace his boots twice in Japan, having come off the bench against the Wallabies.

Japan coach Jamie Joseph, meanwhile, named a virtually full strength side following their 31-28 defeat by a world select XV last Friday, although winger Lomano Lemeki has pulled out with a foot injury.

­Wales could drop to sixth while Scotland could jump to third depending on other results.

Scotland has never been higher than fifth on the rankings.

­A loss for Scotland would result in them dropping below Australia to seventh.

Head to head history

Wales have dominated this fixture, winning 10 of the last 11 which included nine in a row between 2008 and 2016.

Scotland will be aiming to notch their 50th win over the Welsh.

­This would be only the second side Scotland has defeated on 50 occasions after Ireland (67).

Wales form guide

On a five Test win streak after defeating South Africa and Argentina (twice) during June.

­2012 was the last time Wales won six consecutive Tests.

Leigh Halfpenny requires four points to become the third Welsh player to score 700 Test points.

Dan Biggar is five points shy of 300 Test points for Wales.

One try for George North will see him overtake Ieuan Evans (33) and move into outright third on Wales’ alltime tryscorer list.

Alun Wyn Jones will equal Victor Matfield (127) as the most capped lock in world rugby history.

Scotland form guide

Defeated Canada and Argentina in June but suffered a shock loss to the United States in Houston in between.

Won five of their eight Tests in 2018.

The team news

Star centre Jonathan Davies will play his first Test for Wales in a year.

Davies broke his right foot against Australia last November and needed a plate and five screws inserted.

He didn’t play a competitive match until September.

For his 66th Wales cap, he will partner Scarlets clubmate Hadleigh Parkes in midfield.

Wales has been unable to pick England based players Tomas Francis, Taulupe Faletau, Dan Biggar, Liam Williams and Josh Adams for the match outside the international window.

Therefore, two uncapped players have been chosen, winger Luke Morgan to start, and flyhalf Jarrod Evans to back up starter Gareth Anscombe.

Morgan is Wales sevens’ all time leading tryscorer.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh hooker Stuart McInally will lead Scotland out in the absence of scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw, now at French club Clermont, while injury has sidelined another former captain in John Barclay.

The window restrictions mean Gregor Townsend’s team is effectively an Edinburgh/Glasgow select side.

­Depending on other results, both England and South Africa, with a win, could move up to third.

­The lowest either side could drop is sixth.

Head to head history

This will be the fourth Test between the sides this year after South Africa won the home series in June 2-1.

After winning the third Test, England are looking to win back to back against South Africa for the first time since 2006.

South Africa have only lost twice (13 wins, one draw) in the past 16 Tests against England dating back to 2006 and including the 2007 Rugby World Cup final.

England form guide

Were on a five Test losing streak prior to their win in the final Test against South Africa, their

longest losing run since 2014.

Their three wins this year is the least since 2006.

Require 11 points to register 7000 points on home soil.

Owen Farrell requires 10 points to become only the second England player to score 700 in Test rugby after Jonny Wilkinson (1179).

Jonny May has scored a try in his last five Tests — only one England player (Rory Underwood in 1988) — has scored in six consecutive Tests.

South Africa form guide

Have a 50 per cent win record this season with five wins from 10 Tests.

Require eight points to reach 5000 points on foreign soil.

Handre Pollard is seven points shy of 300 Test points.

The team news

England coach Eddie Jones sprung a surprise by naming Mark Wilson at No 8 as he opted for a new look backrow combination boasting only six international starts between them.

With regular No 8 Billy Vunipola injured and Nathan Hughes suspended, former Wallabies coach Jones had been expected to go for uncapped Zach Mercer, who was instead named among the replacements as tough tackling Wilson wins his fifth cap and his second start.

Brad Shields wins his third cap at blindside with four cap Tom Curry, impressive in the 2-1 series defeat against the Springboks, keeping the No 7 shirt.

As expected, Owen Farrell will start at flyhalf, with Ben Te’o, who has played only 25 minutes of club rugby this season, and Henry Slade outside him and George Ford on the bench.

Meanwhile, Ivan van Zyl will start just his second Test after being named at scrumhalf for South Africa.

Because the match falls outside World Rugby’s official November window for internationals, South Africa have been unable to select their overseas based players.

That means fullback Willie le Roux and scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, who play in the English Premiership for Wasps and Sale respectively, miss out with their places taken by Damian Willemse and van Zyl.

Italy can move up with a win or draw, as high as 11th with a 16 point victory.

Head to head history

Since 1999, Ireland have defeated Italy in 23 of their 24 Tests.

Ireland have won the last six and prior to their 2013 defeat had won 17 straight.

Ireland form guide

Lost only once in 2018, the first Test in June against Australia, otherwise winning seven of their eight including a Six Nations Grand Slam.

Lock Devin Toner is in line to play his 50th Test, from the bench.

Toner is riding a 14 game winning streak, three behind Ireland’s record held by Guy Easterby and Leo Cullen (17).

Winger Jacob Stockdale has crossed for seven tries in 2018 — the Ireland record for tries in a calendar year is nine held by Denis Hickie in 2003.

Italy form guide

Won their previous Test match 25-22 over Japan in June which ended an eight Test losing streak.

Looking to win back to back Tests for the first time since 2016.

The team news

Ireland, the Six Nations champion, have left at home the likes of captain Rory Best, vice captain Jonathan Sexton, Peter O’Mahony, Rob Kearney and Keith Earls.

Bigger fry are around the corner — Argentina and New Zealand — and the Rugby World Cup is less than a year away.

Italy, the Six Nations wooden spooner, have done the same.

Injuries, a fixture outside the normal window, and the need to save some ammo for the Wallabies and All Blacks caused the Italians to leave behind the likes of captain Sergio Parisse, Tommaso Allan, Matteo Minozzi, and Leonardo Sarto.

Italy coach — and former Ireland back — Conor O’Shea planned well enough to pick his side an unusual 11 days before the match.

There are only two survivors from the Six Nations matchup in Dublin in February, frontrowers Luca Bigi and Nicola Quaglio.

Centre Michele Campagnaro will captain Italy for the first time, and there will be a debut for South African flanker Johan Meyer, who could be replaced by another debutant, New Zealander Jimmy Tuivaiti.

Ireland has four surviving starters from the same match, in forwards Jack McGrath and Jack Conan, and backs Bundee Aki and Jacob Stockdale.